Talks resume

Talks on the Cyprus problem resumed yesterday with a message from UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon welcoming both delegations back to the negotiating table read out by his representative in Cyprus, Alexander Downer.

“The parties made strong progress before the talks were suspended in late March. I am very encouraged by the convergences that were reached”, he said.

“The peace process is at an important point. A settlement is within your grasp and this opportunity must be seized, as time is not on your side. Achieving an agreement will require vision, statesmanship and courage. Your communities want and expect a settlement. This will require give-and-take on both sides, and the ability to understand the issues and what is at stake from the perspective of the other side. You must convince not only your own community of the value of a settlement; you must also convince the other community of your good faith. This is not a zero-sum game. It is possible, and indeed necessary, to arrive at a solution that clearly benefits both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots”. The UN S-G also said he was encouraged that the two leaders have agreed to continue on the basis of the UN parameters, Security Council resolutions and the joint statements made on 23 May and 1 July 2008 and added that the international community is committed to continuing its support for this Cypriot-led process.

He expressed the belief that an agreement can be reached in the coming months, adding that together with his representative, Mr. Downer, he remains ready and willing to help.

It was their first tete-a-tete between the leaders of the two communities, Demitris Christofias and Dervis Eroglu, although they had a ‘breaking the ice’ dinner in the buffer zone on Tuesday night, during which it transpired that both their wives had missing brothers.

UN special adviser Alexander Downer said the meeting was held in a warm and positive environment. With the help of translators, the two men made introductory remarks to each other and then kicked-off discussion of the thorny property chapter. He said they confirmed existing convergences but no other chapter was discussed beyond property.

The two leaders will meet again next Thursday morning. Their representatives, George Iacovou and Kudret Ozersay will meet on Monday afternoon to prepare the ground. Moreover, it was also announced that the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Nicos Emiliou will be added to the Greek Cypriot side’s negotiating team.

Politis says that the UN believe that the forthcoming solution must make provisions for the resettlement of Turkish Cypriots living in Greek Cypriot properties in Morphou and have started examining various options.

They consider the return of the town to G/C administration a given and are continuously stressing to the T/C side that their refusal to do so will be tantamount to leading the talks to failure. One possibility being examined is for new housing to be built for the T/C on government land in Morphou.

The question arises, says the paper, because of Eroglu’s public pre-electoral statements refusing to return an inch of the town and in view of the fact that the two sides will start to discuss the property issue in earnest on Monday.

It says that clearly the property issue and that of territory are interconnected and the area where the G/C side will want to show gains. The paper quotes diplomatic sources as saying that clearly the T/Cs have received gains in the issue of governance and political equality. For the negotiations to proceed these must be balanced with territorial and property concessions, matters that greatly concern the G/Cs.

The argument goes that the more territory ultimately falls under G/C administration, the easier the property issue will be resolved. In this respect the possibility of the Karpass area being declared a ‘federal park’, an area where development will be allowed from both communities, is gaining ground.